W. Allen Taylor - Storyteller (2020)

“Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.” ---Miles Davis

As a jazz singer, with a theatre background, I’ve always been fascinated by the stories that I’m inspired to tell. Whether drawn in by the ecstasy of the melody, or by the poetry of the lyrics; having a song speak directly to my soul is what it’s all about. And it’s exhilarating to be able to explore the possibility of adding anything of consequence to the narrative of that song...especially to a jazz standard.

We modern-day practitioners of this rich tradition share the risk of overexposing the treasures left behind by some of the most esteemed vocalists in the history of this music. And yet we keep digging, excavating for deeper meaning, and for the opportunity to add our layer to a legacy.

With this, my album debut, I’m putting my personal layer on some of the songs that have lived within me through many years of my musician’s journey. Each of these selections possess not only a lyrically evocative narrative, but also a musical storytelling approach that feeds my appetite for the jazz tradition that leans undeniably straight-ahead.

I also want to pay homage to the artists who created these songs, or at least made their existence noteworthy. Artists who made significant contributions to the modern jazz songbook, and helped to establish a music that will never expire. Jazz is, and will always be ALIVE because of the giants who left a trail.

Every song is a story, intended or not, and the older I become, the more I realize that I’m still in the process of becoming...and will always be striving to “play like myself” with every story I tell.

I hope you enjoy, and may you find your authentic voice, musical or otherwise, to express whatever inspiration you choose to follow on your path.

Peace and love, WAT